Review: Planet of Lana 2 – Children of the Leaf

Following up on an indie hit is notoriously difficult, a phenomenon often referred to in the industry as “the difficult second album.” Swedish Wishfully Studios has, however, succeeded brilliantly in building upon its beautiful 2023 puzzle platformer. Planet of Lana 2: Children of the Leaf is a more mature, complex, and grand adventure that truly flexes the muscles of the current console generation.

An emotional journey on the planet Novo 

The story takes place approximately two years after the first game. Our protagonist Lana is older, braver, and significantly more agile. The adventure begins with a local tragedy; the ruthless and industrialized faction Dijinghala leaves behind a toxic ore that Lana’s young niece, Temati, happens to touch. The child falls into a deep coma, forcing Lana and her sympathetic little alien companion, Mui, to head out into the dangerous wilderness to find the biological cure, “Mountain Flower.”

Just like in the original, no established human languages or localized subtitles are used; the characters speak a fictional alien dialect. This works unexpectedly well, as the game requires you as a player to actively observe body language, tone, and the emotion of the voices to understand the narrative.

Puzzling and symbiosis 

Lana is now much more mobile and can dive underwater, sprint, slide, and wall-jump, which gives the platforming a nice sense of momentum. At its best, it’s reminiscent of the classic favorite Prince of Persia. The biggest mechanical evolution, however, is Mui, who has transitioned from being a passive pet to an integrated partner in puzzle-solving. You can control Mui from a distance to use EMP charges, hijack hostile drones, and even hypnotize the local wildlife. Taking control of a fast “Ink Fish” to spread ink underwater and sneak past sharks, or using a flammable “Roller” to burn away obstacles, are truly satisfying mechanics.

Despite being very positive about the game and its ingenuity, there is one aspect of the game design that grates a little. If you are used to the masterful level design of, for example, Denmark’s Playdead‘s Limbo and editorial favorite Inside, where the world feels like one long, organic nightmare journey, the structure of Planet of Lana 2 becomes a bit too transparent. It often feels like stepping into separate “puzzle sections.” The puzzles themselves are generally excellent, but they often feel stacked on top of each other rather than flowing naturally into the logic of the environment and the story.

Which format is best? 

The game was released on March 5, 2026, for all major platforms, but if you want the absolute best experience, PlayStation 5 is the obvious choice. Graphically, both PS5 and Xbox Series X deliver a crystal-clear 4K resolution at a solid 60 frames per second. However, what makes the PS5 version superior is the deep integration of the DualSense controller. The haptic feedback lets you physically feel the difference between Lana’s heavy landings, the massive alien machines, and Mui’s light, quick footsteps in the grass. The adaptive triggers also provide resistance when Lana performs heavy physical tasks, creating a tactile link to the game world that is missing on the other formats.

Audiovisual magic 

Regardless of the format, Planet of Lana 2 is a work of art. The hand-painted, Ghibli-inspired graphics are breathtaking at times, especially when the intelligent camera zooms out to show the enormous, atmospheric environments. Takeshi Furukawa’s orchestral soundtrack is also phenomenal, sweeping with a grandeur that brings to mind Star Wars, only to become muted and tense the next second when you are forced to sneak past guards.

Summary

Planet of Lana 2 is more than just a sequel that delivers on its promises; it is a high-quality and incredibly beautiful puzzle adventure that has matured in all the right ways and lasts for just the right amount of time. Even if structurally it doesn’t quite reach the seamless and organic flow of the absolute top tier of the genre (like Inside), the symbiosis between Lana and Mui, combined with the masterful craftsmanship on PS5, is a journey you shouldn’t miss. And by chance, you can also buy the first game now at a very low price in various Stores (Playstation is selling it for 39 SEK, for example). Well worth the investment to get the whole story!

Thunderful Games provided a review code for this test. The provider of the material has no editorial influence on our tests.